Spotlight: Colleen Neary

Sep 18, 2023

We were so happy to host Colleen Neary recently to stage Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes!

Neary trained in New York at the School of American Ballet and Harkness House. From 1969 to 1979, she danced as a soloist with New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine, becoming one of his quintessential ballerinas. Balanchine personally selected Neary to stage his ballets for other companies as a répétiteur for The George Balanchine Trust, the official guardian of the choreographer's style and celebrated choreography.

Neary remains in demand, continuing to stage Balanchine ballets for major U.S. and international ballet companies including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet West, American Ballet Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre, The Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Korean National Ballet, and New National Ballet of Tokyo.

Neary’s commitment to ballet education also resulted in co-founding the Los Angeles Ballet School and LA Ballet's many community outreach programs. In 2012, Neary received The Lifetime Achievement Award from the McCallum Theatre.

On staging Stars and Stripes for Ballet West, Neary said, “I just want to sincerely thank you for having me back . . . to stage Stars and Stripes! This ballet is so much fun, and the dancers have been great . . . attentive, and full energy and giving their all, which is what it takes! I know your audiences will love it!!! ❤️”

Thanks for hanging out with us, Colleen!